You are here

Joy Banchero

Published Thursday, February 23, 2017

Joy Banchero was born Nov.15, 1929 in Port Angeles, Washington. Joy lived with her Grandparents “The Nansens” until age 9 when she moved to Ballard, Washington to live with her mother Gladys and stepfather Maury Piehl. Joy graduated from Ballard High School in 1947. Joy served in the Marine Corps Reserve during the Korean War.

Joy met the father of her children, R. B. Dawson at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Seattle, Washington, in 1955. They were married in February 1956 in a union lasting 7 years and produced two sons.

Joy worked at Boeing in Seattle and Everett Washington throughout the 1960’s. Joy enjoyed camping and backpacking, she belonged to the Seattle Mountaineers and other related organizations. Joy was an avid reader and loved her “Puzzle Books”.

Joy and her 2 sons moved to Klamath Falls Oregon in 1971 where she married H. G. “Hank” Banchero, a union lasting 31 years. Joy, Hank, and youngest son Gary returned to northwestern Washington in 1980, just in time to drive through the fallout created by the Mount Saint Helens eruption.

Joy moved from Marysville Washington to Bridger, Montana the Fall of 2008 to live with her oldest son and daughter in law. Joy was a regular at Bridger Seniors and Red Hats.

Joy was preceded in death by her Grandparents (Nansen), Parents (Piehl), Husband (Hank), and youngest son (Gary Dawson).

Joy is survived by her eldest son Ralph Dawson (Donna) of Bridger, Montana, grandson Frank Dawson (Tera) and 2 great grandchildren, Paige, and Jaxon of Medford, Oregon.

Mom passed peacefully on Feb. 6, 2017 at the age of 87.

Mom was an “Elder” in the Snohomish Tribe of Indians and could proudly trace her heritage back to 1863 in the Puget Sound area of northwestern Washington.

In lieu of local services, Mom will be interred in the National Veterans Cemetery in Laurel, Montana, with Military Honors in the spring, when it warms up. Mom never was one to make folks stand around in the cold.

Cedar Wood Healthcare was responsible for mom’s care during the last 6 weeks of her life and did so with sincerity and compassion.

We would also like to thank Dr. Billy Oley for his care of Mom during her years in Montana and Beartooth Hospice during her last weeks of life.